This invention relates to kinematic mounting systems, particularly to adjustable kinematic mounting systems, and more particularly to an adjustable link and/or damping structure which enables adjustment for six degrees of freedom and structural damping by one to two orders of magnitude.
Kinematic mounting systems have long been known to provide an economical and dependable method for attaining high repeatability and accurate positioning in structures. A kinematic mounting system provides the exact number of constraints (six) required to locate an object in space relative to its supporting platform. Precision machines and instruments are frequently mounted this way so as to be uninfluenced by deformations of the supporting platform. An adjustment to any constraint will move the instrument to a different but predictable location and orientation. The proper combination of adjustments to the six constraints will alter the instrument's position and orientation relative to the supporting platform as desired. This principal is well known and has been used previously on various manipulators.
There has been a need for a readily adjustable kinematic mounting arrangement. The present invention fills this need by providing a low-cost, passive device, which incorporates an adjustable link that provides backlash-free adjustment along its single constraint direction and flexural freedom in all other directions. Six of these devices, properly placed, will provide adjustment for six degrees of freedom and will fully constrain the instrument relative to the support structure. In addition, the adjustable link arrangement may be provided with built-in damping means which will improve structural damping by one to two orders of magnitude. The damping means will reduce amplifications at resonance excited by broad-band vibration sources by the same order of magnitude.